Oilers Drafts Revisited: 2010

As part of our buildup to the 2014 NHL Draft, we’ve been revisiting Edmonton’s work at the draft table over the Kevin Lowe era, using the criteria established by TSN’s Scott Cullen here and here, which evaluates drafted players based on a 10-point scale and sets a benchmark for average NHL performance.

It was to be the defining draft of the Edmonton Oilers’ rebuilding effort, and for better or worse it likely will be.

The Oilers stocked up on draft picks, making not just the No. 1 selection but four choices in the top-50, two more in the top-100 and 11 selections overall in an attempt to replenish the organization’s prospect cupboard with both quantity and quality.

And while it’s still too early to definitively judge the draft – we’ve had to project the likely outcomes for several prospects based on their work to date – it isn’t too early to say that the team fell short of its lofty ambitions in 2010.

– Taylor Hall was everything the Oilers could have hoped for with the No. 1 selection. 2013-14 was the dynamic forward’s second consecutive campaign in which he scored better than one point per game, and his combination of speed and offensive creativity makes him the best player on the team today.

– Martin Marincin emerged as a legitimate candidate for top-four work in 2013-14, coming to the majors for a cup of coffee and playing so well that it became impossible to return him to Oklahoma City. A tall, lanky rearguard with good puck skills and a cerebral approach, Marincin isn’t a sure thing yet but he’s trending very well.

– Tyler Pitlick and Brandon Davidson represent Edmonton’s best shots at landing the kind of support players who could redeem the 2010 Draft. Pitlick had a nice season in the AHL in his third pro campaign and got into 10 NHL games, but has been injury prone and may be exposed to waivers next season. Overage selection Davidson had an up-and-down campaign for Oklahoma City but finished the year strongly and may yet develop into an NHL depth defender.

– Curtis Hamilton and Ryan Martindale are both AHL players at this point. Hamilton is a restricted free agent who the Oilers may opt to release, given his 16 point effort in 43 games for OKC. Martindale has already departed the organization, being moved to Florida in a trade that brought back Steve Pinizzotto.

– Tyler Bunz, Jeremie Blain and Kellen Jones are all still in pro hockey. Bunz has been a mediocre ‘tender in the ECHL and isn’t realistically much of a prospect at this point, Blain went unsigned and is currently playing for Vancouver’s ECHL affiliate and Jones has signed an AHL contract with the Barons and so is still technically affiliated with the Oilers organization.

– Drew Czerwonka and Kristians Pelss are no longer playing hockey. Czerwonka retired after fighting through injuries at the WHL level, while Pelss tragically passed away last summer.

There is still a substantial element of uncertainty in the 2010 Draft, which we currently have rated as below NHL average. If Marincin continues developing as expected and one of Pitlick/Davidson emerges, we may look back at 2010 as an average draft or perhaps even a clean win for the Oilers. On the other hand, if Marincin regresses and those players fail to develop, it will be a total fiasco that even the Hall selection cannot redeem.

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the “X” in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.